Commerce, International Trade Administration Logo
Position Title
International Trade Specialist
Agency
Commerce, International Trade Administration
Announcement Number
ST-11209455-21-DR Opens in new window
Open Period
Thursday, August 26, 2021 to Wednesday, September 15, 2021
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Do you claim Veterans’ Preference? (limit characters)
2. Are you a veteran who separated from active duty under honorable conditions and you:
  • have a rating by the Department of Veterans Affairs showing a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more OR
  • retired from active military service with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more
If eligible, submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service. Please also provide the disability letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Service and the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, Standard Form 15.For more information, review USAJOBS Veterans resources. (https://www.usajobs.gov/Veterans)
(limit characters)
3. Are you an active duty service member?  You must submit a statement of discharge/certification of release or an official written document from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions no later than 120 days from the date the announcement closes. Enlisted Record Briefs and military identification do NOT qualify as official documentation. If the appropriate information is not submitted to confirm the discharge status, dates of service, etc., you will not be considered for this job opportunity under Veteran Preference procedures. To gain access to your DD-214 online please visit http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records
 
(limit characters)
4. Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from the agency hiring for this position? If yes, confirm:
• you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND,
• you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.

For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
 
(limit characters)
5. Are you currently employed as a Federal civilian employee in the Competitive Service AND have you never held the full performance level of this position?
   -- OR --
Were you formerly employed as a Federal civilian employee on a permanent competitive appointment or did you obtain career-conditional status (and are within 3 years of the date of separation or are a preference eligible) AND have you never held the full performance level of this position?
   -- OR --
Are you currently employed as a civilian employee in the competitive service that holds a career or career-conditional position at a lower grade level than the position being announced?

To verify your eligibility as a current or former Federal civilian employee:
You must submit a copy of your SF-50: Notification of Personnel Action or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status.
Your SF-50 must reflect:
career or career-conditional (Tenure field is 1 or 2); AND
status in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1).
 
(limit characters)
6.
Have you completed at least 1 year of continuous service immediately before separation from one or more non-temporary Foreign Service appointments; AND, your separation from a Foreign Service career-type appointment occurred in the last 3 years (individuals entitled to veteran's preference do not need to meet this 3-year requirement)?
 
-OR-
 
Have you completed at least 3 years of substantially continuous service under one or more non-temporary appointments in the Foreign Service immediately before separation from an unlimited, career-type appointment in that Service?
 
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) reflecting your non-temporary status. If you are outside of the 3-year requirement but are entitled to veteran's preference, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service.
(limit characters)
7. Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from a position in a Federal agency other than the agency hiring for this position? If yes, confirm:
• you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND,
• you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
• your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.

For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
 
(limit characters)
8. Are you a current or former employee of a land management agency (Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; National Park Service; Fish and Wildlife Service; Bureau of Indian Affairs; or Bureau of Reclamation) who:
-was originally hired to a time-limited position under a competitive appointment; AND,
-served one or more time-limited appointments at a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of two or more years; AND,
-performed at an acceptable level of service during each period of service; AND,
-if no longer employed by the land management agency, have been separated for no more than two years, and departed that position in good standing?

To verify your eligibility, you must provide a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) and performance appraisal that demonstrates you meet the requirements outlined in the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act.
 
(limit characters)
9. Are you a current Federal employee who holds or has previously held a career or career-conditional position in the competitive service with equal or higher promotion potential as the position being announced?

-OR

Are you a former Federal employee who previously held a career or career-conditional position in the competitive service, separated from the Federal Government over a year ago, and your last performance rating on record as a Federal employee was at least Fully Successful (or equivalent)?

-OR

Are you a current Federal employee who holds or has previously held a career or career-conditional position at the same or higher grade level with the same or higher promotion potential as the position being announced?

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your separation Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status AND your last Federal performance appraisal plan. 

Your SF-50 (or equivalent personnel action form) must reflect:
  • Career or career-conditional (Tenure field is 1 or 2); AND,
  • Your status is in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1).
  • Your last Federal performance appraisal plan must reflect:
  • Rating of Fully Successful (or equivalent)
(limit characters)
10. Are you a current Excepted Service employee of a Federal Agency that has a valid interchange agreement with the Office of Personnel Management?

For more information, review Interchange Agreements with Other Merit Systems.

-OR-

Are you a current:
• Postal Career Service Employee;
• Postal Rate Commission Employee;
• Government Accountability Office (GAO) Employee; or,
• Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Employee?

For more information, review Miscellaneous Authorities Not Regulated By U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
 
(limit characters)
11. Do you meet one of the following Non-Competitive Merit Promotion Eligibilities:

Individuals eligible under other non-competitive appointment authorities such as: Certain Military Spouses, Peace Corps/VISTA, Certain Former Overseas Employees, Boren Fellows, Former White House staff, etc.

Note: You must submit documentation to support any eligibilities for which you wish to be considered.
 
(limit characters)
12. Do you have a severe physical, psychiatric or mental disability that qualifies you for a Schedule A Disability appointment?

For more information, review USAJOBS Individuals with Disabilities resources.

To verify your eligibility, you must provide appropriate medical documentation, i.e., a letter signed by a licensed medical professional or licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist stating your condition and restrictions.
 
(limit characters)
13. Are you a veteran whose latest discharge was under honorable conditions and you:

• served three or more years of continuous active duty service in the military (NOTE: if released shortly before completing a 3-year tour, you are considered to meet the eligibility) OR
• are entitled to veterans' preference .

If eligible, submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service. For more information, review USAJOBS Veterans resources.
 
(limit characters)
Preferences
1. In the last five years, based on the closing date of this announcement, have you served or are you currently serving as an Executive Branch political, Schedule C, or Non-career SES appointee?
You can find out if you have held one of these appointment types by looking at your Standard Form 50s in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF), in Section 5 where the legal authorities are listed.
  • A political appointee is an appointment made by the President without confirmation by the Senate (5 CFR 213.3102(c)) OR an assistant position to a top-level federal official if filled by a person designated by the President as a White House Fellow (5 CFR 213.3102(z)).
  • A Schedule C appointee occupies a position excepted from the competitive service by the President, or by the Director of OPM, because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties (5 CFR 213.3301 and 5 CFR 213.3302).
  • A Non-career SES appointee is approved by the White House and serves at the pleasure of the appointing official without time limitations (5 CFR 317 Subpart F).


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Assessment 1
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
1. Do you have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-12 grade level or higher in the Federal service that includes:
  • Performing U.S. export facilitation, foreign direct investment promotion, trade promotion through trade-policy analysis, the resolution of trade barriers, and negotiations;
  • Recommending empirical trade information with interpretation and prediction of influences of economic, market, political, and other events; and
  • Developing strategies for U.S. business facilitation, trade and investment promotion initiatives, regulatory, and global trade-policy positions?
(limit characters)
For each item, select the one response that most accurately describes your current level of experience and capability using the scale below. (limit characters)
2. Build coalitions between U.S. economic development organizations and U.S. business.
(limit characters)
3. Analyze economic data to develop economic and/or trade policy priorities to support policy recommendations, and program development.
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4. Prepare and determine accuracy and relevance of information drawn from automated systems.
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5. Assist current and potential U.S. exporters and investors navigate challenging obstacles to address trade barriers affecting exports or investments abroad.
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6. Assess U.S. business readiness to advance U.S. commercial interests internationally.
(limit characters)
7. Participate in international negotiations and/or policy initiatives, policy development, and outreach activities.
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8. Plan and execute marketing strategies, trade and investment promotion programs, seminars, meetings, conferences, missions and exhibitions, or other events central to U.S. trade development objectives to strengthen global opportunities.
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9. Facilitate, influence, and build consensus to expand trade and investment market-access opportunities.
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10. Identify, prevent, overcome, and reduce trade barriers associated with technical regulations for U.S. industry.
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11. Provide data analysis and translates data into long-term material to foster innovation.
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12. Establish and maintain partnerships with public, private, academic, and/or multinational direct investment leaders.
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13. Coordinate trade programs, events, and specific activities and serve as a liaison to stakeholders, internal experts, and partners.
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